Mercy
by Madisus
Summary: The guards thrust the two men forward, trapping them in a circle of hostile men and leaving Chekov to look up at the face of someone who shouldn't be alive.


Hi! Some quick notes, I suppose.

First of all, slight spoilers for Star Trek: Into Darkness! Nothing incredibly obvious, probably just confusing to someone who hasn't seen the movie.

Second, this is most likely a one-shot, just a scene from my own idea of what an alternate universe movie would look like if it followed the events of Wrath of Khan a little more closely. Specifically, the scene in which First Officer Chekov and Captain Terrell investigate Ceti Alpha 5 for signs of life and run into Khan and his crew.

Thanks for reading! (And reviewing!)

* * *

The guards thrust the two men forward, trapping them in a circle of hostile men and leaving Chekov to look up at the face of someone who shouldn't be alive.

Chekov backed away slightly, side eying the confused lieutenant beside him. How he wished he could warn him of the danger they were in, the strength and instability of the man in front of them. Chekov couldn't help but wonder, looking up at the towering figure, that aside from the tattered clothes and slight gauntness of the face, this man looked exactly the same as he had six years ago, when he killed the Captain, terrorized the Earth, and nearly started an interstellar war. Chekov understood the hopelessness of the situation then, and stood a little straighter, his shoulders squared back a bit farther.

Again he looked in pity at the young lieutenant beside him. Chekov couldn't help but think of him as young, though they were probably around the same age. Perhaps it was Chekov's years of experience that made him feel so much older. Serving on the Enterprise for nearly seven years had allowed him to learn more than anything he could have studied at the academy. He had not only become comfortable working on an actual spaceship, but he learned so much about what it means to be one small, insignificant human in a vast universe. Small, yet responsible for the actions you take, the paths you choose, and the lives that you carry with you. He felt a brief flash of shame as he recalled his days attempting to be chief engineering officer. He nearly got everyone killed, and the sight of Khan only made that guilt's sting a little sharper.

Chekov weighed his options here. Chekov having been in engineering at the time, Khan would have little to no knowledge of who he was, just another crewman out of the hundreds aboard the Enterprise. He could make it abundantly clear that he knew exactly who Khan and his friends were, and risk getting himself and the lieutenant the safest option at this point was to play dumb, and try to escape diplomatically. Chekov had no idea what Khan wanted, but he must want something, or he and the lieutenant would have been dead the moment their feet materialised on the ground of this planet.

Chekov swallowed nervously. He'd just have to wing it.

"Greetings, sir," Chekov began, "On behalf of Starfleet and the Starship Reliant, I thank you for allowing us to meet with you..." Chekov faltered under Khan's gaze. "Allowing" wasn't quite the right word. Chekov and the lieutenant- he really should have asked the man his name- had been practically dragged here. Chekov himself had been grazed with a pretty nasty phaser blast, as the throbbing of his arm reminded him.

Khan just looked at him impassively. Chekov opened his mouth to try again when the Lieutenant stepped forward. "Listen here,_ sir_. I don't know what you mean by this, attacking two unarmed and peaceful visitors to this planet- which was supposed to be uninhabited- and I would really like to know what is going on here. Who exactly are you?"

"I am Khan," the man grinned looking at the rigid Chekov, "And I can see my reputation precedes me."

Chekov's mouth fell into a hard line. It seems the jig was up. "Perhaps."

"Hmm, let's see," Khan said appraising the rigid Chekov, "A little young to be serving under Admiral Marcus, a little too alive to be from the London offices... were you studying at the academy, perhaps, when I crashed right into it?" Chekov frowned angrily.

"No, but I'm getting closer," said Khan, maliciously delighted.

The lieutenant just looked more affronted and slightly unnerved.

Khan was quiet for a moment, and then took a step closer, "Oh, but it can't be. It's too good to be true. Am I truly staring at an esteemed member of the Starship Enterprise?" Chekov took a step back, still stonily looking ahead.

The lieutenant glanced between the both of them, "I don't understand, how did you-"

"How is Captain Kirk these days?" Khan interrupted amusedly.

"I do not answer to terrorists, and most certainly not the one who murdered numerous members of starfleet and nearly instigated an interstellar war." Chekov responded angrily.

The lieutenant looked over in understanding, straightening and assuming a blank look. In the event of a no-win hostage scenario, the first priority is to not give up any vital information.

"A terrorist? Harsh words, though I doubt you've experienced true terror just yet, Mr...?"

Chekov silently stared.

"I asked your name." Khan said, receiving no response from either of the men.

Khan's easy grin twisted immediately, as he pulled out a gun and shot the lieutenant in the leg. The man fell immediately, crying out in pain.

"I asked your name!" Khan nearly shouted.

Startled by the lightning shift in mood and deeply concerned for his comrade, he stuttered, "Lieutenant Chekov, Pavel Andrievich."

Chekov quickly kneeled to examine the lieutenant, wishing fervently that he had medical experience outside of basic training at the academy.

"And I'm Lieutenant Clark Terrell, asshole," the Lieutenant -Clark- hissed up at Khan.

Chekov was examining the bloody, mangled remains of Terrell's leg, "Shit, shit shit," he muttered. There was no way they would be able to get out of here now, and he'd be damned if he would ever leave Terrell behind to die.

Khan hovered impassively over the scene, gun aimed at Terrell's heart. "I have many questions for you, Lieutenant Chekov, and I will not hesitate to shoot your companion if you refuse to cooperate."

"What do you want to know?" Chekov replies, not looking up, instead supporting Terrell's head in his lap. The guilt and fear for Clark's life was weighing on him heavily. Terrell was beyond fear, simply breathing heavily and struggling to stay awake.

"I am correct in assuming you were once a member of the Enterprise?"

"Yes," Chekov spat.

"And what was your rank?"

"I served as an ensign on the bridge, and briefly assumed the role of chief engineering officer during the, well, the pursuit of you."

"Fascinating. And really, how is Kirk?"

"I would not know. When we returned from our five year mission, I was transferred to the Reliant."

"What exactly does the Reliant want with this dead planet? Why were you two beamed down?"

Chekov was silent for a moment. He had no problem giving away personal information. His past was of no use to Khan. But the Reliant's mission, that was serious data. Even he did not know the full extent of the Genesis project.

"We- we were sent to examine the planet to be sure that there were no signs of life."

"Why?"

"I- I do not know."

"You are lying, lieutenant. But I will let it slide. I am a man capable of mercy."

Chekov breathed out in relief, looking down at his near-comatose fellow lieutenant.

"You were quite wrong about the absence of life on this cursed rock, and not even in the obvious sense." said Khan, gesturing to his crew. "There is one creature that has survived, burrowing in the sand."

Khan turned and pulled out a small glass case. Inside was some kind of shelled creature. Kahn pulled a small black thing from between the plates of the creature' armor. "This, young friend, is a larva of the Ceti Eel, capable of burrowing into the flesh of a host and effectively strangling the cerebral cortex of its victim."

Chekov recoiled in disgust, and Khan continued, "It's a pity, though, I seem to only have the one."

Chekov instantly understood, and moved to cover Terrell's body with his own. Khan was faster. Chekov may have brainpower, but Khan and his crew were superhumans, and Khan was easily able to shoot Clark while two other men pulled Chekov back. Clark's head fell to the floor with an ugly, fleshy thump.

"No. No!" Chekov growled, attempting to wrestle out of the men's grip, though he knew it was futile. He felt like a toddler trying to struggle out of a parent's arms. With desperation he pulled towards Terrell's mangled body. He was horrified by the death, feeling as though he had just lost a dear and trusted comrade, though he hadn't known the man's name for more than five minutes.

As Khan stepped closer, the grip on Chekov's arms grew tighter, until he was on his knees in front of the man, unable to move. Chekov watched tensely as the larva was placed in his abandoned helmet, ripped from him when he was captured. And, suddenly, the world was tinted through the lense of his helmet. Chekov's heart sped up and he desperately pulled at his arms, trying to rip away from his captors. Where was it? Where was it? Chekov panicked, increasing the pace of his struggles. And then the larva fell, landing on his cheek, and Chekov was still. So painfully still. Chekov desperately wanted to run. The revolting creature was slowly crawling across his cheek, towards his ear.

"Please, please no, no, don't do this. I -" Chekov's accent was becoming thicker, and his voice higher as the eel crawled ever closer. Chekov knew the time for begging was long gone. "I can- please, please, no!" And then it was there, crawling and pushing, and the pressure was immense and the pain almost unbearable, and Chekov was screaming and screaming and he didn't care, because there was a creature, in his body, burrowing through his flesh and bone, chewing through his eardrum and into his skull, attacking his _brain_. Chekov was blinded by the pain, screaming into the helmet as the tint of its window became darker and darker until he saw black.

* * *

When Chekov returned to the world of the living, his helmet was gone, and Khan was hovering over him. "It seems that I too, told a half-truth, Mr. Chekov. I am a man capable of mercy, but only when it suits me, it seems."


End file.
